The Washington critic., 1887-05-16

deal OF his manuscript and papers and acted
so much like q crazy man that he was
watched every night until his friends finally
Induced him to quiet down and open
school again.
HIS MANUSCRIPTS.
Ney moved from Iredell to Rowan
County few years before his death, and
only short time before leaving he said to
young man In Iredell, who was one Of his
favorite students and who had often as
Sisted him In his schools: ~ am getting
old and will have to die before a great
while. When you hear OF my death want
you to come at once and take charge Of this
box OF manuscript. You understand my
shorthand writing better than anybody
else. Write this all out and let the people
know what II is. There ia something here
that will astonish the world.' The young
man promised to do as requested, but as
the facilities for hearing news in those days
were very limited, 1t so happened that Ney
had been dead some time before this gentle
man heard 1t. AS coon as the news reached
him, however, he went In funllment OF
the promise, but when he reached the
place where Ney died, all documents
and papers Of all kinds were gone.
The gentleman with whom II was left
says that q man came to his house soon
after Ney's death and represented himself
as being member OF the New York Hlstor-
ical Society and urged him for these
writings, stating that his society would
have the shorthand writing translated and
published, and would give him five hun
dred copies of the books to distribute
among Ney's friends, and under these rep
reservations he turned 1t all over to the
stranger, and neither has been heard from
since. 1t was afterward learned that the
fuan " not fnafnhar M thu ennfoty nd
that the manuscript never came In posses
sion Of that society. Whether this lmpostor
was friend Of the Ney family, shadowing
the old man to his death with the purpose
of suppreseipg his writings, or employed by
the French Government to purloin oil these
written evidences, or what disposition was
made Of the manuscript, or what revela-
tions 1t would have made II published, all
remain as great a mystery to this day as
that which hangs about the origin and early
| life Of the author.
HIS DEATiI.DEp SENTIMENTS.
Ney told three different gentlemen while
on his death bed that he was the Marshal,
and repeated IL only few minutes before
he dled-and this while he was thoroughly
conscious, and after his attending physician
had Informed him that there was no hope OF
his recovery. In dressing him for burial
| tnese gentlemen lOunu tDat, IN addition to
| the large scar on the left top side Of his
head, he had been wounded 10 the neck,
side, thigh, wrist, leg and foot.
| When his remains were exhumed on the
3D. OF this May 1t was found by actual meas.
urement that the skeleton was FIVE feet ten
inches In length, and the skull seven and
| three-fourth inches across the forehead and
eight inches through from front to rear
giving u circumference measurement OF
about twenty -four inches. This verifes the
statements made by his pupils as to his
size, and proves that he was man OF great
capacity. The left side Of the skull was
much more decomposed than the right side
which indicates that the head wound had
carried with 1t fracture Of the skull.
Every statement made In this article can
be verified by living witnesses whose integ
rity is beyond question. The many truths
and valuable lessons taught by this great
man will live on and on In the communi
ties in which he moved, and coequal with
these his old friends will hand down through
generation after generation that this quiet
and unassuming country school teacher
was none other than the great hero Of
France, the leader Of the "rear guard Of
the grand army" j. s. ToMLINsoN,
Washington, d. c., May IA.